1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive seat and apparatus for making the same, and, more particularly, to an automotive seat which is formed by adhesively attaching a seat surface covering to the surface of a mass of cushion providing material previously foamed and shaped into a form to conform to the outside form of the automotive seat by use of a mold and apparatus for making such automotive seat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, an automotive seat of this kind is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,356 which is produced in the following manner. That is, a seat surface covering formed of a single piece of vinyl leather or like material impermeable to air is placed onto a die for the seat surface covering: next, the seat surface covering is heated and stretched by use of a heater; the seat surface covering is shaped onto a required configuration by means of a die for a mass of cushion providing material; and then, after a bonding agent is applied to the mass of cushion providing material, pressure is given to the mass of cushion providing material to bond it to the seat surface covering.
Accordingly, the above-mentioned patent can apply only to an automotive seat including a seat surface covering which can be thermally stretched. In other words, in the above patent, woven fabric of natural fiber having no thermoplasticity can not be employed for the seat surface covering. Also, since the seat surface covering is formed of a single piece of material, for example, it is impossible to produce such a seat surface covering which is composed of separate sections respectively corresponding to the portions of the surface of the mass of cushion providing material requiring elasticity and not requiring elasticity.
Also, in another prior art method of manufacturing a seat for an automobile, as shown in FIG. 11, a seat surface covering of natural fiber having no thermoplasticity is first fixed to a shaping die (06) and is then bonded to a mass of cushion providing material (08) so as to provide a seat as shown in FIG. 12.
Specifically, in FIGS. 11 and 12, (01) designates a seat surface covering; (02) a center portion of the seat surface covering (01) providing a seating surface of a seat; (03) side portions of the seat surface covering (01) providing end side surfaces of the seat, respectively; (04) joints to be joined by various means; (05) welts; (06) a shaping die; (07) clamps for gripping the welts (05) therebetween; and, (08) a mass of cushion providing material previously foamed so as to be provided with projections and a recessed portion on the upper surface thereof using a mold.
In the conventional seat shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, fixation of the seat surface covering when the joints (04) thereof are formed is accomplished as follows: the center portion (02) is connected to the side portions (03) via the welts (05); the welts (05) are fixed onto the shaping die (06) by use of the clamps (07) mounted to the shaping die (06) to position the seat surface covering; and then, in this state, the seat surface covering (01) is attached to the mass of cushion providing material (08), that is, the upper surface thereof by a bonding agent. However, this fixing method cannot apply to a case where the seat surface covering (01), more particularly, the center portion (02) thereof is provided with two or more kinds of different physical properties (material, color, pattern or the like), because the different physical properties make it impossible for the joints (04) to be joined properly.
Also, in the above-mentioned prior art, since it is difficult to provide fitting means such as clamps for fixing the seat surface covering (1) firmly to the surface of t he shaping die when it is bonded, it is difficult to manufacture a seat which allows a variety of designs, provides a beautiful appearance in the joint portions thereof, and has no distorted portions on the surface thereof. By the way, the distorted portions or distortions are produced when the seat surface covering is bonded, and the greater distortions occur especially when seat surface covering components of different physical properties are adhesively joined together to form a complete seat surface covering.